Papal announcement draws positive local reactions

Review Staff ReportPublished: March 14, 2013 3:00AM

Bells rang out across Vatican City as white smoke billowed out of the Sistine Chapel chimney just after 2 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, signaling that a new pope was selected to succeed Benedict XVI.

The conclave began on Tuesday, when 115 voting cardinals were sequestered in the Sistine Chapel, away from any outside contact. After five rounds of voting, the 77 votes required to confirm a new pontiff were recorded, and shortly after 3 p.m., a high-ranking cardinal announced that the conclave selected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a 76-year-old Jesuit from Argentina, to serve as the 266th pontiff.

Bergoglio will be called Pope Francis.

Local reaction to the announcement was enthusiastic.

"I think it's wonderful that they decided to elect someone from South America," said the Rev. Matthew Mankowski of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alliance, adding he was hoping South America or Africa would be home to the new pontiff because "that's where the Church is growing in large numbers."

Although hoping for a younger pope, Mankowski said he expects Pope Francis to "be good in addressing some of the issues, including the bureaucracy of the Roman Curia. ... Coming from South America, I think he understands the needs of the poor."

Mankowski expects Pope Francis to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi, who was a strong promoter of peace and justice.

Richard Jusseaume, president of Walsh University, agreed. "One of the great models of Christianity, let alone Catholicism, is Francis of Assisi. It's (the papal name) simply a matter of choice, and perhaps he (Bergoglio) has a devotion to St. Francis," he said.

Concerning the selection of the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jusseaume said, "When you think of the Roman Catholic Church as a global institution ... it speaks to the inclusion of the Catholic Church, where race is not an issue."

He said holding to the traditional method of selecting a pope ensures a smooth transition and stability for the Catholic Church and serves as a model for the world.

"The pope is the leader of 1 billion Catholics, and we just transferred power, and it just took two days. ... Nobody's fighting, nobody's shooting; everybody's praying. What a model for political entities around the world."

Jusseaume indicated several students from Walsh's campus outside of Rome were present and could be seen on CNN with a "huge Walsh University banner. I got more calls about the banner than the actual ceremony," he said, adding, "They were there to get the final blessing of the old pope, and they were there (Wednesday) to get the blessing of the new pope."

"We're blessed that a wonderful, talented man who was certainly not one of the front-runners ... emerges in such a magnificent position," Jusseaume concluded.

Lisa Michel, parishioner at St. Gabriel's Catholic Church in Minerva, said she was excited to hear about the new pope and the opportunities that an energized leader can bring to the church.

Michel approved of Benedict's forward-thinking decision to step down from the papacy last month. "I thought that was extremely realistic and showed he was in touch with the people," she said.

Michel remembers Pope John Paul II as the world's pope who stirred up love in young people around the globe. She hopes Pope Francis will incite excitement and evangelism in the Catholic Church. "I think this is a chance for our church to do that same thing again -- to think of people's needs and head into the future," she said.

"Pope Francis has said he will be a bishop of the people, and asked the world to pray for him, while he blesses us," George V. Murry, S.J., bishop of Youngstown, said in a statement. "We offer the new pope our best wishes and promise him our prayers as he continues the mission of St. Peter to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the world."